I have been diagnosed with chronic headaches and migraines and have been dealing with them for over 10 years. When I first got diagnosed I was a teenager and therefore still on my parents insurance. However, now I am no longer eligible for their insurance, and am no longer in school and don't qualify for student insurance. Due to this pre-existing condition, I am having a very difficult time finding any insurance that will ever cover me. I imagine that many other migraneurs must have this same problem, and I just wondered what advice you might have or any helpful resources. Anita.

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Answer:

Dear Anita;

If you had joined a group insurance plan immediately, with no lapse between your parents’ insurance and the new group, pre-existing conditions would have been covered. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.HIPAA also states that, “If you have a pre-existing condition and have not been insured the previous 12 months before joining a new plan, the longest you will have to wait before you are covered for that condition is 12 months.” You can read more about choosing a health insurance plan on their site at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/hlthpln1.htm. The best advice we can offer is to get enrolled in an insurance plan as soon as possible to get through the waiting period.

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